Over 2000 kids from all Socio-Economic areas came to a huge back to school bash for tons of free stuff and………one short bus ride, 1500 Jelly Beans, and tons of smoothies made via pedal power…..

1. Easiest National Criterium Championships I have ever done to date

2. I shifted in and out of my big ring at least 50 times during the race

3. By some freak chance my chain decided to shift it’s self fully off my big chain ring which caused me to completely lose the possibility of winning the National Criterium Championship. 

4. Horrible bad luck, just simply bad luck. No ones fault, not the manager, not the mechanic, not me, just a freak thing because I did tons of sprints in the race and my fate was sealed in one swift pedal stroke with out a chain connected when it all counted.  I blame no one but the Colonel…..Oh, I hated the Colonel with is wee *beady* eyes, and that smug look on his face. “Oh, you’re gonna buy my chicken! Ohhhhh!” 

I was on a roll this whole past weekend in Downers Grove, with flatting in the Pro-Am saturday night with 3 laps to go, then on Sunday with less than 200 meters to go and my chain falls to the outside?  Bad luck for sure.  Great Criterium Championshits for me.

I suffered on Brian Jenson’s wheel…..A LOT!  This 3 day race weekend called the Tour of Kansas City has been around for years, I can still remember watching Moninger lap just about every race he entered there.  Well the torch has been handed to Brian Jenson who feels know pain in his back yard of KC.  This race is great because it falls just before Criterium Nationals with a quality field, good money, and great support from the director.  Being able to include this race in my training regimen will hopefully be a great stimulus leading in to one of my goal races of the year.  Plus I got to kick Josh “Daddy Butthead” Johnson in the shin!

photo credit: Shane Nelson……HAPPY!

and the weekend before this my team and I actually WON a race!
YA we WON the criterium of Tour of Elk Grove.
Sprints are a crazy thing as I was planning on leading out our super star Aussie Sprinter Nic Sanderson, but thing just got mixed up, Kelly jumped us all, Toyota brought them back some, and I just jumped thinking I might take Nic up to the sprint.  At the line it was all HUFF and nobody else!  Pretty cool!!!
As the last time I sprinted well at Elk Grove I was able to follow it up with a Stars and Bars tight shirt!

Now that Friedman is in China. I am quite positive having just
returned from there myself that this will be one of his most extensive
training positions leading up to his race. Remember that even one of
my teammates girl friend’s Asian mother will not even eat certain
foods when returning home! Best of luck on and off the bike Mike!